Dallas Stars' blue line woes may ease. A key defenseman is nearing a return, offering hope before the Olympic break.
It is no secret the Dallas Stars are on their worst skid of the season, with no end in sight. They have dropped nine of their last eleven and went 2-3-1 on their latest road trip.
Dallas Stars defenseman Lian Bichsel (6) checks Seattle Kraken defenseman Brandon Montour (62) during the second period at the American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn ImagesOf course fingers cannot just be pointed at one thing that caused the losses, as it has seemed to be goaltending and then not having goal support, but one area that has consistently been a detriment to team performance is the defense. Thomas Harley has had a notably rough stretch for the last two months, Nils Lundkvist was battling some injuries, Lian Bichsel has been out due to an extended injury and Miro Heiskanen has missed the last two games due to a personal matter.
The Stars have had to rely on blue line help from a couple of AHL defensemen and their seventh defenseman a lot recently and the holes have continuously gotten more apparent over the last stretch. However, the Stars released some positive news on that front. General Manager, Jim Nill, announced that Bichsel can start skating with the team next week and hopes he will be able to get into a few games before the Olympic break.
Bichsel has been out since November 30th, when he suffered an ankle injury, causing him to be out for 6-8 weeks. At the time of the injury, it was confirmed that he had the same thing Lundkvist was out with previously. This confirmation even came with a bit of humor, when they advised that Bichsel, who is 6-foot-7, was using the same knee scooter that Lunkdvist had used.
The Stars are anticipating the return of Heiskanen for their game against the Tampa Bay Lightning.
Make Sure You Bookmark THN's Dallas Stars site For The Latest News, Exclusive Interviews, Breakdowns, And So Much More.